Portugal - ILO Cooperation

Portugal is a founding member of the ILO and a strategic partner in promoting the Decent Work Agenda. The Government of Portugal has ratified 84 Conventions and one protocol, including all the eight Fundamental Conventions, all the four Governance Conventions and 72 Technical Conventions.

Portugal's strategic contributions to the ILO

Portugal funds the ILO through:

  • Assessed contributions to the ILO's Regular Budget paid by all ILO member States by virtue of their membership. From 2018 to 2022 Portugal contributed US$ 7.2 Million.
  • Voluntary contributions earmarked for priority programmes and projects in addition to assessed contributions. From 2018 to 2022, Portugal contributed US$ 5.7 Million.
  • Contributions to the ILO’s International Training Centre (ITC) totaling US$ 2.4 million between 2018 and 2022.
Portugal's total contributions to the ILO, 2018-2022 (US$ 15.3M)

Portugal’s support to ILO actions

  1. View Portugal's portfolio in the Development Cooperation Dashboard

The Portugal-ILO partnership

For the last ten years, Portugal's partnership with the ILO has focused on the implementation of operational programmes aimed at extending and improving social protection mechanisms in Portuguese-speaking African countries (PALOP) and Timor-Leste.

Opened in 2003, the ILO Office in Lisbon represents the Organization to Portugal.

Portugal is a direct partner of the International Training Centre of the ILO in Turin (Italy), which was established in 1964 and has since provided cutting-edge training and capacity development services to governments, social partners and UN staff.

Furthermore, the ILO benefits from the skills of young Portuguese experts thanks to the country’s participation in the Junior Professional Officer programme.

Portugal's development cooperation priorities


The Government of Portugal’s development cooperation priorities are:
  • Education
  • Health
  • Rural development
  • Protection of the environment and sustainable use of natural resources
  • Economic growth, and private sector development and stimulating entrepreneurship.
Throughout its development activities, Portugal also aims to protect and promote Portuguese language and culture. Its development assistance focuses especially on lusophone countries in Africa (Angola, Cabo Verde, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique and São Tomé and Principe) and East Timor in Asia.